Miniature golf ball delivering and registering means



Oct. 10, 1933. w L, McCALL 1,929,556

MINIATURE GOLF BALL DELIVERING AND REGISTERING MEANS Filed July 14, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l w q tq k m Q m R WfLjlloall y W. L. M CALL Oct. 10, 1933.

MINIATURE GOLF BALL DELIVERING AND REGISTERING MEANS Filed July 14, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WiLMaaZZ Patented Oct 10, 19 33 I I I 7 a I UNITED STATES PATENTeOF FICE MINIATURE GOLF BALL DELIVERING AND REGISTERING MEANS v wiibum Lee McCall, Marion, s. o. Application 'July 14, 1931, Serial No. 550,743 1 Claim. (01. 235-91) This invention relates to registers, and has inclining downwardly'from ,one side wall 4 of for one of its objects to provide a novel apthe casing, and atube 11 extending downwardparatus of this character which shall be adapt 1y from the lower end of the tube 10, to the lowed to register the numberof golf balls issued in er end of the tube 9. The upper, end of the .5 the course of a day or 'fractionthereof at a tube 10 extends outwardly of the casing, 1 to Q miniature golf course, to the end that, since permit the golf balls to be placed in the con- ,each player is charged the same fee and uses tainer 7. Alcup 12 located outwardly of the but one ball to complete the course, the. sum casing 1 and,communicatingbyway of a tube taken in during the day or any fraction thereof 13 with theltube 10, provides means through the may be easily and quickly computed. medium of which the golf balls maybe placed in the container shall be adapted to have the tainer 7. w I

I The inventionhas for a further object to in the container ,7. The cup 12 constitutes the 7 provide an apparatus of the character stated last hole of the course, and is carried by a sup which shall embody a container for the golf port 14 located above the normal surface of balls, means operable to deliver the balls one the course. Aniinclined path 15 extends from 5 at a time from the container for issuance to such surface vto the support. The player must, 70 the players, and means adapted to register in order to make the last hole of the course, each ball delivered from the container. drive a golf ball up. the path 15 over the sup The invention has forIa further object to proport 14 and into the cup.12, resulting the .vide an apparatus of the character stated whereautomatic return of the golf ball to the .con- ,7

golf balls'automatically deliveredthereto from The golf .balls 8 are raised from the lower to the last hole of the course. the upper end of the upright tube 9 'by means With the foregoing and other objects in view, which comprises an endless belt 16 arranged in "t e nature of which Will pp as t pupright position along side the tube, and fingers tion proceeds, the invention consists in the con- 17 carried by the belt and extending into the 8d struction, combination and arrangem o pa tube. The tube 9 is provided in a side thereof hereinafter'fully describd'fl d a d with a longitudinally extending slot 18 through lustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherewhich the fingers 17 extend into the tube. in:- 1 v tube 19 extends downwardly from the upper Figure 1 is a sectional view taken on a plane nd of th t b 9 to a trough 20 lo ated t the t d vertically and lon ud y through .outer'side of and secured to the front wall 5 the apparatus. of the casing l. The raisingmeans carriesthe v Fi ur is a sectional vi w taken on ap a golf balls. 8 from the upper end of the tubes ex ndine ri y through the pp into the tube 19 which later delivers them to 35 thefplane Of; the section being indicated by the the trough 20 from which they may be'removed line 22 of Figure 1. o I forlissuance' to the players, Figure Bis a sectional view taken on the ver- The 1t 1 is mgunted on pulleys 21 and 22 tiall p n indicated by h e r 0f swhich are fixed to shafts 23 and 24, respectively. The shaft 23 which is located in the, lower end j F u is a detail sectional V w taken O portion of the casing 1, is journaled in a obear- 9 the verticalflplane indicatedby' the line 0 ing 25 secured to one side wall 4 of the casing. Figure2. I 1 p a The shaft 24 which is located in the upper end Figure 5 is adetail sectional view on an enportion of the casing 1 is journaled in a bearlarged scale taken on the vertical plane indi- 'ing 26 secured to said casing wall and has fixed cated by the line 5-95 of Figure 2, and thereto a ratchet wheel 27. A 'ratchet bar 28 c Figure 6 is "a detail sectional view on an enrests upon the ratchet wheel 27 andpasses larged scale taken on the vertical plane indithrough the rear wall 6 of the casing 1. A lever cated by the line 6-6 of Figure 2. .29 pivoted, as at 30, to the rear wall 6, is con- The apparatus, which will be preferably 10- nected, at as 31, to the rear endof the ratchet 50 cated at or close. to the 1 entrance of a'miniabar 28 and provides means by which the ratchet .105

ture golf course, comprises a casing 1 which bar may be reciprocated to impart turning includes a bottom wall 2, top wall 3, side walls movement in one direction to the ratchet wheel .4, front wall 5 and rear wall 6. t A container? 27. The turning of the ratchet wheel 27 moves for the golf balls 8 is locatedwithin the casing the belt 16 in such manner as to cause the .55 1, and'comprises an upright tube 9, a tube 10 fingersl7 to move the golf balls 8 upwardly in the tube 9 and deliver them to the tube 19 from which they pass into the trough 20.

Means for registering the number of golf balls 8 delivered to thetrough 20, comprises a numbered strip 32 which is rolled upon a spring roller 33. The roller 33 is similar to a spring shade roller, and is mounted in brackets 34 located within the casing 1' and secured to the front wall 5thereof. The roller 33 is located close to the top wall 3 of the casing, and located below the roller and parallel to the top wall 3 is a support 35 over which the numbered strip 32 moves as it is drawn from the roller 33. The support 35 is mounted on brackets 36, and one end extends from the front wall 5 to a point close to the rear wall 6 of the casing 1, the rear end of the support terminating short of the rear wall to permit the numbered strip to move downwardly past said end thereof as it is drawn from the roller 33. The strip 32 is numbered from one to one hundred, and as it is drawn from the roller 33 the numbers thereof pass successively below a window 37 in the top wall 3 of the casing 1, the number appearing below the window indicating the number of balls delivered to the trough 20.

A shaft 38 journaled in bearings 38a and located below the support 35, has secured thereto one end of the numbered strip 32, and is turned to withdraw the numbered strip from the roller 33. A shaft 39 journaled in bearings 40, is lo cated above the shaft 38 and is connected thereto by gears 38b and 380. A lever 41 is located within the casing 1 above the shafts 26 and 39, is mounted at a point between its ends for rocking movement about a horizontal pivot 42 which is secured to the rear wall 6 of the casing. The lever 41 is provided between its ends with a downwardly directed arm 43 through the me dium of which it is connected to the pivot 42, and is provided at one end with a downwardly directed arm 44 and at its other end with a forwardly directed arm 45.

The arm 44 is engaged with a four lobed cam 46 fixed to the shaft 24, and the arm 45 has pivoted thereto a pawl 47 which engages a ratchet wheel 48 fixed to the shaft 39. The lever 41, the cam 46, pawl 47, ratchet wheel 43, gears 38b and 38c, and shaft 38 provide means through the medium of which a portion of the strip is drawn or unwound from the roller 33 each time the golf ball elevating means is actuated to deliver a ball to the trough 20, the length of the strip unwound from the roller beng sufficient to register one of the numbers of the strip with the window 37, and the number registered with the window indicating the number of balls issued to the players. The means for delivering the balls to the trough 20, and the means for registering the number of balls delivered to the trough, are actuated through the medium of the hand lever 29. The lever 29 normally occupies an upwardly and rearwardly inclined position with respect to the rear wall 6 of the casing 1,

and it is moved forwardly from this position to effect the actuation of the ball delivering and ball registering means. After each actuation of these means, the arm 44 of the lever 41 engages between a pair of the lobes of the cam 46 and holds the ball delivering means against reverse turning movement while the lever 29 is being returned to its normal position. The lever 41 is operated by gravityto cause its arm 44 to move between a pair of the lobes 26, and during this actuation thereof the pawl 47 is moved rearwardly with respect to the ratchet wheel 48 so as to engage another tooth of the ratchet wheel.

With the arm 44 located between a pair of the lobes of the cam 46 and with the pawl 47 engaged with another tooth of the ratchet wheel 48, the ball delivering and the ball registering means are set for further actuation when the lever 29 is again moved forwardly. The shaft 38 is held against retrograde rotation by a pawl 49 pivoted to the bearing 40 and engaging a ratchet wheel 50 fixed to the shaft 39.

A money drawer 51 is slidably mounted on guides 52 for movement into and out of the casing 1 through the front wall 5 of the casing. The inward movement of the drawer 51 is limited by a stop 53 mounted upon the guides 52 for contact by the rear wall of the drawer. A rod 54 secured to the bottom of the drawer 51 and slidably extending through the stop 53, and a pawl 55 secured to the stop and engaging in a notch 56 in the rod, provide means for releasably securing the drawer in closed position. The pawl 55 comprises pivotally connected sections 55a and 551), the section 55a being pivoted, as at 57, to the stop 53, and the section 55b engaging in the notch 56 of the rod 54. A spring 53 carried by the pawl section 55b and contacting with the pawl secti0n55a normally holds the pawl sections in alinement to the end that the pawl will when engaged with the notch 56 01'' the rod 54 hold the drawer 51 against opening movement. When the pawl sections 55a and 551) are rocked upwardly on their pivot 59, the pawl releases the drawer 51 for movement into opened position. A coil spring 60 sleeved on the rod 54 and bearing at its ends against the stop 53 and a lug 61 secured to the bottom of the drawer, is compressed during the closing movement of the drawer, and functions when the drawer is released to move the drawer into opened position.

An arm 62 carried by and angularly related to the lever arm 43, and a link 63 connected to the arm 62 and to the pawl section 55a, pro-.

vide means for retracting the pawl 55 each time the golf ball delivering means and the golf ball registering means are actuated, the retraction of the pawl freeing the drawer 51 for movement into opened position. A bell 64 is sounded each time the drawer 51 is opened, the bell consisting of a gong 65 secured to a block 66 on the bottom of the drawer 51, a hammer 67 pivoted to the block, and a spring 68 secured to the block and hammer. guides 52 trips the hammer 66 against the tension of the spring 67 during the opening movement of the drawer 51, with the result that the bell will be sounded.

A stop 69 carried by one of the.

In practice, the container 7 is supplied with golf balls by inserting them into the container by way of the tube 12. While the container 7 is being supplied with the golf balls, the lever 29 is operated to carry the balls into the upright tube 9 of the container. The pawls 47 and 49 are held out of engagement with their ratchet wheels 48 and 50, respectively, during this actuation of the lever 29. On the retraction of the pawls 47 and 49, the spring roller 33 is freed for rewinding thereon any unwound portion of the numbered strip 32. To permit of access to the pawls 47 and 49, the top wall 3 of the casing 1 is provided with a door 70 which carries the returning the pawls 47 and 49 into engagement with the ratchet wheels 48 and 50, the apparatus is in condition for operation to deliver the balls register the balls as they are delivered.

To effect the delivery of a ball to the trough 20 from which it is taken for issuance to a player, the lever 29 is moved forwardly. This causes the fingers 17 of the belt 16 to move upwardly in the tube 9 and move a ball from c this tube into the tube 19 which latter directs the ball into the trough 20. Simultaneously with the delivery of a ball to the trough 20 the strip 32 is unrolled from the roller- 33 to register one of its numbers with the window 37, and the pawl is retracted to free the'drawer 51 for movement into opened position. The drawer 51 after being closed will be automatically locked in closed position by the pawl 55 and cannot be again opened until the lever 29 is again moved forwardly to deliver another ball to the trough 20 and to actuate the strip 32 to register another of its numbers with the window 37.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it should be apparent that the apparatus will when actuated deliver the golf balls one at a time, and will register the number of golf balls delivered in the course of a day or fraction thereof, that the number of golf balls delivered during thewhole or any part of the day will be indicated by the number appearing below the window 37, and thatfrom this number may be calculated the total receipts of the day or fraction thereof. It will also be understood that since the cup 12 constitutes the last hole of the course,,the golf balls will be automatically returned to their conv tainer as the players complete the game. one at a time for issuance to the players and to While I have described the principle of the invention, together with the structure which I now consider the preferred embodiment'thereof,

it is to be understood that the structure shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:--- I A golf ball register, comprising a casing, an

upright tube in the casing and provided in a latter means comprising a toothed wheel carried bythe ball delivering means, means operated by said wheel for advancing the registering means, a rock lever carried by the casing, and a toothed bar connected to the lever and engaging the wheel for rotation thereof upon rocking of the lever in one direction.

WILBURN MCCALL. 

